The Kunlun Red Star ice hockey club of Heilongjiang province set off for intensive training in the Czech Republic on July 1. The team will return in September and participate in the first game of the Russian Major League (VHL) held in the provincial capital, Harbin.


The team’s coach, Alexksei, speaks at the farewell ceremony on July 1. [Photo/ weibo.com]

According to the team’s coach, Alexksei, they are aiming to enter the second round of the season, breaking the record of Beijing Kunlun Red Star in the Kontonental Hokey League (KHL) last year.

During training, the team will take part in the VHL pre-season games with Russian professional ice hockey teams, such as Rubin Tyumen and Ak Bars Kazan, with the aim of improving their competitiveness for the real competition.


The ice hockey team poses with government officials at the farewell ceremony. [Photo/ weibo.com]

VHL is ranked second out of Russia’s ice hockey leagues, following KHL. The regular 2017-2018 season will start in the middle of September and end in January 2018, with 30 games held in Heilongjiang.

The event is expected to increase people’s interest in ice hockey and boost the winter sports industry in Heilongjiang.